. it’s good to be home .

It feels like it’s been forever since we last spoke, and I’m sorry again for not doing any blogging while I was gone, but there was just too much to see and do and not nearly enough time left over to blog about it. Living before blogging, right? Right. The only problem is that now I have a ridiculously jam-packed week to share with you and no real idea of how to go about doing it… I took something like 900 pictures, which I’m obviously not going to make you suffer through, but figuring out what to share and what not to is proving to be a rather difficult task; I don’t want to leave anything out, but at the same time I don’t want to devote a week’s worth of posts to vacation recaps alone. I’m thinking that I’ll start tomorrow with a travel edition of WIAW, cover Disneyland on Thursday, and finish up with the rest of Cali on Friday. Sound manageable? Hope so! Just give me a few days to try and make sense of all of these pictures…

In the meantime, how about some random thoughts about the trip? Overall, it was amazing. I’m severely sleep-deprived and my feet will probably be sore for the next week and a half, but I had an absolute blast. California is so much different from home, and although I don’t think I could ever live there for any extended period of time (big crowds, insane traffic, and excessive heat are not my cup of tea), I sure do love visiting. I mean, where else would I get to see a guy driving a hot pink Benz like it’s no big deal?

Or get mugged by Goofy in broad daylight?

Or have my first ever blogger meet up with a girl that I absolutely adore and walk away with loot that melts my heart? (Kat, why didn’t we take any pictures together?! #bloggerfail)

Or wake up to a breathtaking view like this?

Sigh. Yeah, I’d kinda, sorta like to go back, but then again, being home has it’s perks as well, I suppose. Besides the whole “sleeping in my own bed” and “using my own shower” thing, it’s nice to be back in a place where paying for things is so much quicker thanks to handy dandy color-coded bills…

No offense, but American bills are horrible! Not only do they look kind of drab, but the fact that they’re all the same color means I have to spend that much more time trying to figure out which bill is which. Up here it’s easy: blue means 5, purple means 10, green means 20, red means 50, and gold means 100… no need to look at any numbers. And don’t even get me started on $1 bills – they make you feel like you have so much more money than you actually do!

Another perk of being at home? 24 hour access to cinnamon…

Being the overpacker that I am, you’d think I’d manage to cover all the basics, but it never occurred to me to toss a cinnamon shaker in next to my toothbrush. Learn from my mistake – a week without cinnamon is a long time…

And as much as I hate to say it, one of the best things about being at home is just having my space back. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mom and Dad to pieces, but being with them almost 24/7 for a week is about as much love as I can handle for the time being. And I will never complain about traffic again after having experienced LA in rush hour. Good. God.

Yes, I think I’ll adjust to being at home again just fine. See you guys tomorrow for WIAW!

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Where was the last place you visited for vacation? Or one that you’re planning on visiting?What are some things (besides the obvious) you always have to pack with you when you travel?What’s your favorite thing about coming back home?

Reader Interactions

Comments

Welcome home Amanda! I’m so excited you had such a fun time on your trip I just loved following your pictures on instagram!
Oh and I totally agree about canadian $$ being cooler than american $$. Ours is so BORING, we need tie dye bills in my opinion haha
Looking forward to the Disney eats tomorrow!

Looks like a great time! I agree that the view you woke up to is absolutely breathtaking!

The last vacation I went on.. was to Aruba for our honeymoon! We had a great week away and enjoyed many of the perks of sleeping beach side! I could have stayed longer.. but not permanently! I’m definitely not one of those people who says.. “I’m never going home..”

I love my home! I love my space.. my structure! Vacation is great.. for a vacation period of time!

Sooo happy you had a great time! My last vaca was Disney in Florida with my niece and nephew – although I had a great time I felt like a needed another vacation- it was soo much walkingbut definitely worth every second! I too agree that once the vacation was over I was happy to home! Can’t wait to see more pictures from the trip!

Amanda, I’m so so happy you had an amazing vacay,(but more happy you’re back ,so I can read your posts, teehee). I can’t wait to read your recaps:)!
Being able to take, and experience, trips like this must be make you really appreciate how far you have come in your recovery.

I loved your mini-rant over the money, haha! There could be worse things- I mean, it’s nice to actually HAVE money to rant over I guess. The views and the weather look stunning. And that gorgeous , purple scarf looks so snuggly & perfect for autumn.
Xxx

These pictures are great, it definitely looks like you had an incredible time. That definitely is a view that would make waking up breathtaking! I have never met another blogger before, but that’s great you got the chance too. I love that mug!! I totally know the “it’s good to be home” feeling. Like you the best part of getting home is having my space back

hahaha I live right at the heart of all that busy-ness~so I totally know what you’re talking about!!!!!! I feel the same way about San Francisco. It’s a place I adore and love to visit, but I don’t think I could live there–unless God wanted me too 😛 And i have missed you! And soooo sad I didn’t get to see you two girls…:( hopefully someday? I’m so glad you had a great time! And please do share pictures. 😀

ps: American pretty much everything is less prettier than other countries’ stuff in my opinion, haha! I really wanna go to canada someday, especially during the Fall.

YES! Definitely come up to see Canada!… Alberta specifically 😉 We have a gorgeous Fall, which I don’t imagine Southern Cali sees much of. When I left, the leaves were still green, but as of today, they’ve already turned golden and red. So pretty!

welcome home! – and glad to see you had so much fun!! one of the things i always pack is protein powder and think thin/luna bars. just in case i get hungry. hehe. And the best thing about coming home is a clean bed!

The place where I’m currently living can be called a lot of things but not a home so coming back isn’t really full of excitement. As for my other home – my dog, mom’s cooking, quiet nights…

My last vacation (i.e. the only trip with a sleepover I’ve done for a while that doesn’t include work) was to Tokyo at the beginning of May. It was amazing! My next vacation will be a real one though – home for Christmas! I can’t wait! And neither can my tiny stuffed dog which is the thing I always take with me 😀

I wish the U.S. had colorful money like you do in Canada! The only cool thing we have are the special state quarters.

The last place I vacationed was Estes Park, CO over the summer. It’s only of my family’s favorite destinations because it’s fairly close to home and it’s a really cute mountain town with lots of stuff to do. But my favorite part was just hanging out by the pool every day!

Welcome back! I’m really looking forward to hearing about the rest of your adventures in Southern California! Your pictures are making me a bit homesick though, but definitely in the best way possible. 😉

I had to smile when you mentioned missing cinnamon. I actually always pack a shaker of it when I travel! If I know I’ll be preparing breakfast in the room, I’ll throw in garlic powder in as well. I also always pack a plate and a fork and knife, so that I can cut fruits and vegetables I pick up at local markets.

Colorful Canadian money is definitely superior to our drabby bills in the U.S.! I think we might be the only country in the world that doesn’t color code money. So strange!

The last place I traveled was Boston, however I’m leaving for New York this Friday!

I definitely need to start taking bowls/plates with me when I travel… You can barely fit anything into those individual yogurt containers, and I had to keep refilling them to get a proper breakfast in!

Welcome back, glad you had a great time! Can’t wait to see all your posts.

I feel the same way about american money as well. I love Australias brightly coloured plastic notes. So pretty. $5 is a lavender colour, $10 is a bluey/greenish colour, $20 is orange and $100 is light green.

Sounds like you hade an amazing trip. I’ve been to Cali in 2010 (oh my, how time flies) and loved it sooooo much. At the moment bf and I are planning to go there for fall semester 2013 and I am searching for an university with fees that will be covered by our state scholarship… damn, studying in the US is expensive.

Welcome back girl! I’m so glad you had a good time. It’s so true though that no matter how awesome a vacation was, it’s always nice to get back home. Also I laughed out loud at what you said about US money – it’s so true! I much prefer our prettier bills. 😉

The last place I visited was Boston for HLS. The only thing I can think of that I absolutely have to pack with me is my soy nut butter – I hate going for long periods of time without it! 😛 And until restaurants start offering it on their menus, I have to take it everywhere with me.

I can’t wait to hear all the details of your trip! Have a great Wednesday girl!

Haha as soon as I got home I realized we didnt take a picture. I was like “face palm” lol Guess that just means we have to see eachother again Im so glad you were able to get out here and have a good time. Sorry about the traffic. And the smog. And the rude people.
Glad you are home safe and sound! Miss you like crazy lady.

Welcome home, Amanda! Your trip looks like a blast, looking forward to reading more about it! As much as I love travelling and the flexibility that comes with it, I do enjoy coming home to some sort of routine. By the end of a vacation, I’m also kinda over the whole ‘living outta a suitcase’. And you’re so right about US bills…now that I think about it, almost every other place I have visited color codes their money!

love the cinnamon obsession haha, Vietnamese cinnamon from penzeys is THE BEST! the last trip i took was prague & paris this past may i always pack some gluten free snacks, beef jerkey and raw almonds when i travel. the best thing about coming back home is my amazing memory foam pillow! i love that thing hah!

Welcome back girlie!! Happy to see you had an amazing time. California really is an entirely different world on its own, and I’m glad you got to experience it. Traveling is fun but nothing beats home sweet home. I travel a lot for work and learned this verryyy quickly. Can’t wait to be photobombed by your vaca photos (I lovevacation photos)!!!

P.S. – I’ve read that cinnamon (saigon), when consumed in large quantities, can be toxic to your liver. I consume a lot of cinnamon as well and now mostly use ceylon cinnamon which is not toxic! All that might just be another one of those “health scare” things (isn’t everything bad for you in large quantities anyway?), but I just wanted to let you know anyway

Oh my gosh, Canadian money is so preeeeeeeetty! I want purple bills! 😀

So glad to have you back! (Yeah, pretending again that you haven’t already been back for like a week)!

You just reminded me that I need to pack cinnamon on my next vacay…how could I forget such a staple?! Actually, the last time I went out for pancakes, I asked the waitress if I could have some cinnamon…I was like, “I know this may sound odd, but do you think I could have a little cinnamon in a bowl for my pancakes?” She did look at me a little strange, but went back to the kitchen and popped back out with a little saucer of crack…um, I mean cinnamon! 😉

The last place I visited was Boulder, Colorado for the Blend Retreat in 2012. I bought a ticket to Foodbuzz in San Francisco next month, but I’m starting to have second thoughts…the prices for hotels is OUTRAGEOUS! :-/